


Four Times Laslow Revealed His Past...

by darkesky



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: 4 + 1 things, Drinking, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Past Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-21
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-11-26 11:50:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18180230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkesky/pseuds/darkesky
Summary: ...and the one Odin did.-Xander's voice shifted slightly. "How do you say goodbye to family?"He doesn’t seek an answer, but Laslow felt one perk up inside him. Buried deep beneath the regulations the three set over their hidden pasts, a memory shyly presented itself. His mouth moved and broke the wall it cowered behind. So be it if Odin and Selena made crude remarks about him not being able to uphold the promises.





	Four Times Laslow Revealed His Past...

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's some quick details about the universe (even if they aren't necessary to read the story)  
> \- Laslow is Olivia and Robin's son  
> \- Odin is Lissa and Gaius' son  
> \- Selena is Cordelia and Frederick's son
> 
> And yeah, there's no ships here because I'm VERY conflicted about ships in this game. At the moment, I'm kinda sitting with Xander x Laslow, and then Leo x Niles x Odin, and Selena is a solid IDK

Laslow and Peri kept their eyes trained on the coin. As it flies through the air, Peri snatched it up and slapped it across her wrist. “Heads or tails?”

“Tails.” Laslow let a smirk flit across his face and winked at her. Peri pouted before peeking underneath her hand. He doesn’t need her to state aloud where the coin landed. Her face completely lit up, and she bounced on her heels.

She then stabbed a finger into his chest. “I guess you’ll have to go calm down our lord!”

“This is the last time we decide on this with a coin toss.” Laslow sighed before glancing back down the hallway. Mere moments ago, Xander stomped through the hallway and slammed the door. For the crown prince to lose his composure like that, the meeting with Garon  _ had  _ to have gone amiss. 

At the end of the day, the royal retainers needed to reassure their lieges… To  _ help  _ them. Knowing what Xander could do with a sword, however, was enough to dissuade Peri and Laslow from following blindly.

Peri waved at him as he crossed the hallway and gently rapped his knuckles against the door. It took a few seconds for Xander to reply, and even at that, it came as a grunt.

“Milord, do you need any help?” Even as Laslow attempted to enter with grace and subtlety, the door rebelled. It whined under his touch. The annoyingly high-pitched noise lingered in the air, and Laslow struggled not to flinch. At least he’s not crying… He wasn’t certain, but there was a chance Peri would have started sobbing. 

Xander glanced over his shoulder. He stood by his desk, knuckles turning white under the tight grip on the back of the chair. The setting sun illuminated the edges of his form, cutting an impressive shadow on Laslow. It was rare Laslow felt small in comparison to the crown prince. After all, he grew up beside both Lucina and Owain- Odin. Being beside royalty was something natural.

Then, a sad smile crossed his face. “Who sent you after me? Leo? Camilla?”

“Neither. Peri and I just thought you might need someone to lend a hand… Or an ear.” He stepped in front of the door and let it close behind him. He offered his most charming smile, though Xander didn’t look too impressed. “I’ve been told I’m an excellent listener.”

Xander studied him for a long moment, making Laslow feel naked. Judging by the flush starting to mount in his cheeks, Laslow doubted he could keep that feeling under wraps. He bowed his head slightly and waited. Xander sighed after a long pause. “You wouldn’t understand. Your little sister doesn’t rush off to danger with nothing but fools to watch her back.”

Laslow leaned back against the door, shaking his head slightly. “Effie and Arthur are eccentric, but I’d never use the word  _ fools-” _

“I would. Effie’s loyalty is humbling, but she relies on brute strength to get through. If a situation called for an agile soldier, she wouldn’t be up to task. And Arthur’s luck defies any logic. He will behead himself with that axe one day.” Xander glanced away quickly.

A quiet thought pulled at Laslow, but he resisted the urge to speak it out loud. He wondered if the other royals had doubts about Xander’s retainers. All of the retainers, though, defied tradition. From Niles’ dark past to the three without pasts, none of them would have been selected by anyone but their royals.

He cleared his throat. “I imagine it’s because they match Elise. Effie protects, so Elise can escape if needed. Arthur can wield his weapon, and Elise doesn’t need to pick one up. For you, they may be fools… But they aren’t fools for Elise.”

“I would prefer you and Peri accompanying her nonetheless.” His voice shifted slightly. “How do you say goodbye to family?”

He doesn’t seek an answer, but Laslow felt one perk up inside him. Buried deep beneath the regulations the three set over their hidden pasts, a memory shyly presented itself. His mouth moved and broke the wall it cowered behind. So be it if Odin and Selena made crude remarks about him not being able to uphold the promises. “How do you let your family grow up? The first time my sister picked up a tome, I thought I’d have to follow her around with a bucket. I thought there was no feasible way she could cast a spell without burning herself alive.”

“Your sister…” Xander deliberated on asking more from Laslow or stopping there. He could hear the wheels grinding in his head before he made a swift detour from the conversation. Laslow was secretly glad. He wasn’t sure if he could divulge more. “Magic runs in your family?”

_ More than Odin’s.  _ “Yes, but… My sister could extinguish the sun’s flames, and I wouldn’t be surprised. My best would be raising hell with a Levin sword.”

“And your sister… She exceeded your expectations with magic?” He followed the story with more interest than Laslow imagined. Laslow allowed himself to get tangled into the mess of memories, albeit briefly.

He freed himself of their embrace. “I would trust her with my life, sire. A sword can be your knight, but she’d be my army. And if I never allowed her a chance to march off to war, she’d never have grown strong.”

What he left was that he really didn’t get the option of letting her sister stay a child. With the Risen attacking from every angle, how could he have let her be defenseless? He wished Morgan would have picked up healing instead of weaponry, but what could he have done? Brady already slipped into the role of a healer, and their little group didn’t need numerous healers… Owain could pick up the slack when needed.

“You think Elise can do this?” This time, Xander stated his intent cleanly. He wanted him to search for the answer. He wanted Laslow to connect the dots he left suspended in the conversation.

He offered a single nod. “Without a doubt, milord.”

-

Corrin had numerous bad ideas, but this had to take the cake. Then again, should he be surprised they had a more…  _ Scandalous  _ idea of fun? They’ve repeatedly walked in on everyone in the hot springs, and just as many times, they’ve bolted out of there with a red blush heated on their cheeks. Then again, rumor had it they ended up sitting in the hot springs with Niles, and  _ Silas  _ was the one who got kicked out. 

Corrin reserved the mess hall for all the Nohrian retainers, even barring entrance from their own retainers. He asked them when Felicia and the others would get the chance, and they laughed and shrugged. Then, when all the retainers entered, they were greeted with the sight of an  _ excessive  _ amount of alcohol.

“My siblings are pains,” confessed Corrin. “This is the one day you’ll truly be off… The Hoshidan retainers will cover your shifts today. In about a week, you’ll do the same for them.”

Then, they left the group. Unsurprisingly, the first to snatch up a bottle was Niles. When Odin made some spluttering uncertainty, always acting the purest out of the group, Niles simply raised an eyebrow. “I’m following Corrin’s orders. I suggest you do the same.”

And so, they did. 

Drinking games, Laslow’s found, never ended well. He can’t quite remember who suggested it, but he can remember thinking it was an awful idea, bound to end in disaster. Then, Selena called him a chicken, and somehow, he tried to outpace both of his friends from their old kingdom. 

“How are you so  _ good  _ at that?” whined Peri, pouting dramatically.

Laslow knocked back another shot and then pushed another glass to her. “Imagine it’s blood, my dear Peri. You’ll be drinking with the pros soon enough.”

“Or, drink enough to get used to it.” Selena huffed out a laugh. At some point, Niles wandered over to the group and sat between the two of them. She leaned back against his arm, and he jokingly mussed her hair. Her crimson hair steadily fell out of the bindings, leaving a messy combination of pigtails and loose strands. Odin practically hung off his arm. 

“You guys might want to slow down,” Effie called as she passed their table.

Laslow fumbled, attempting to place his hand over his heart and wilt. “I would never wish to disappoint the finest flower in all the land.”

“My dear friend, did you not bestow the same title upon the agent of darkness not five minutes before?” drawled Odin. He jerked his head in the direction of Beruka before practically falling off the bench. Quickly, Niles wrapped his arm around the mage’s hip and pulled him tighter. 

Niles rolled his eyes. “You three are such lightweights.”

“Excuse you?” huffed Selena. A strand of crimson fluttered in front of her face, and she ran a hand through her hair. “I can outdrink any of these idiots. Look at Laslow. He’s practically a baby.”

“I’m not a-”

“Aye. He holds the face of a babe upon his features.” Odin nodded sagely, once again getting dizzy and starting to topple off the bench.

Groaning, Niles got to his feet and dragged Odin with him. He clung to his friend’s shirt, Odin’s fingers scrambling over the slick material. “Obviously, the baby here is Odin. He’s done.”

“I am  _ not,”  _ whined Odin.

Niles stepped away for a slight second, and Odin instantly fell to the floor. Staring down at his fellow retainer, Niles waited a few seconds before glancing back at the two of them. “My money’s on Selena.”

“Rude.” Laslow jabbed a finger in his direction. Shrugging shamelessly, Niles dragged Odin out of the mess hall and to their quarters. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. Then, they clinked glasses and chased the burn.

While Selena and Laslow struggled to finish out their game, the others gathered to start something up. Peri cheerfully kicked glasses off a table and pulled Arthur up to dance with her. Both of them tumbled and toppled off, again and again, while giant smiles shone across their faces. Beruka continued to sit in the corner, but she became more violent with her disposal of the glass bottles. She started chucking them across the room and grinning as they cracked into a million different pieces under the force. Effie stayed stoic and watched them all, vaguely disapproving. 

He supposed they got too rowdy. Laslow couldn’t really tell. At some point, he let his head drift onto the bar, and he never bothered to lift it again. Selena let out a quiet laugh before doing the same. Above, he reached out for her hand and she quickly grabbed it. In some ways, nothing changed from before.

And in some ways, everything changed.

Then, the doors to the mess hall slammed open. He heard Corrin laughing awkwardly. “Xander, please, I told them they could do it-”

“They’re keeping up everyone else. Right now, they’re demonstrating bad behavior and reflecting badly upon Nohr… After all, the Hoshidan royals’ retainers aren’t acting quite so unruly.” Xander’s voice cut deep enough to stir Laslow out of his haze. He offered a sleepy smile, but his liege appeared more concerned with Peri and her recklessness.

After he pulled Peri off the table, he strode over and tightened his grip on Laslow’s collar. He pulled the two of them out of the mess hall, and they stumbled over their feet. “I expect  _ better.  _ Do you think other groups do this while they’re at war? Do you think they let their guard down like this?”

Most definitely. Laslow remembered the drinking games Vaike dreamt up. They were  _ insane…  _ And also the most fun they had in a long time. He remembered stories about how Ricken and Lissa trying to sneak in. He remembered how his father proved to be a bit of a panty-chaster himself, and he remembered how the adults would occasionally stumble back after a victory on the battlefield, alcohol thick on their breath. 

It took a few seconds for Laslow to register the dark look brewing in Xander’s eyes. At least Xander can’t direct all of his anger towards Laslow. Laslow got tired when drunk. Other people, like Peri, started stripping… At least partially. “It raises morale, milord.”

“And what would you know of leading a group?” Xander grumbled.

Laslow hovered in that space between sleep and consciousness, a fog clouding his mind. “More than you’d think. My father was the royal tactician…”

At Xander’s stunned look, Laslow promptly closed his mouth. Soon after, his eyes drifted shut, and his liege dragged his sorry ass the rest of the way home.

-

In Laslow’s defense, he never was one for sitting still. A better punishment would have been torture. He’d rather get his teeth pulled than sit here. Xander already instructed him to leave his sword by him, so now Laslow couldn’t even fiddle with the handle of the sword. It was no Falchion, but the hilt could still offer  _ some  _ enjoyment.

Instead, he got to lean back against the crown prince’s bed while Xander wrote something in ink. This whole ‘Astral Plane’ idea still freaked out Laslow. He grew accustomed to sleeping in tents and with cots. Whatever they could bring on the horses, they brought with them. Here, they had full-on  _ quarters.  _ They didn’t even have to share.

Laslow hated sleeping alone, though, so he usually ended up in Odin or Selena’s room. 

After a few long minutes, he spent his time staring at Xander’s back as if it’d offer answers. Everything about Nohr felt  _ odd.  _ Their royals didn’t bear any brands. Sure, the brand didn’t always show up on the royal lineage but… It still ended up on the vast majority. Lucina and Owain both bore the mark!

“I won’t release you any sooner if you keep staring at me,” Xander said at last.

Laslow almost said something about needing to keep an eye on his fine form. Then, he clamped his mouth shut and tried to pivot. Considering he was locked up inside Xander’s chambers  _ due  _ to his incessant flirting, it wouldn’t help if he continued with the prince himself. “So, uh… You don’t have any birthmarks? Like, on your eye?”

Xander offered a sharp look. However, it gave ample time to study the lack of a birthmark in his bright eyes. He wondered how Lucina would have felt if she was the one to travel to the new world. How would looking in the mirror work? Would she have felt embarrassed by the lack of the mark? He knew Odin hated the way his skin looked without the brand. It reminded him too much of Lissa’s plight. 

After they spoke nothing and everything about the brands, he paused and gave Laslow yet another peculiar look. “Is something on your mind? It’s rare I hear you speak of your homeland.”

“Really? And here I thought I talked about it almost constantly.” He offered a bright, smug smile. Then, he shifted and cleared his throat. “If there’s anything you want to know, just ask. But,  _ of course,  _ we couldn’t discuss over tea or anything. My boss wants me to restrict my  _ intimate  _ outings.”

“Was that sarcasm? With me? I admire your bravery,” Xander deadpanned.

Laslow flushed, offering a soft apology. He wanted to be formal with the prince, but he was always his  _ friend.  _ When Peri spoke, it always lacked any sort of rigidness. In some ways, it reminded him of Brady. When Peri tried to act formal…  _ Ha.  _ She’d get along well with Brady, if not for the bloodlust thing. Brady was still a gentle giant…

He wondered if Brady  _ is  _ a gentle giant.

Then, Xander offered a predatory smile. “Don’t get too comfortable or flippant with me, Laslow, and forget my position. Should you disobey one of my orders to pursue your… Dalliances, you will be punished harder. And if you fled to escape said punishment, I’d find you.”

“‘Find me’?” Laslow hooked the words in air-quotes.

He nodded. “Everyone follows a pattern. So first, you’d look into their past to track them down. Oftentimes, they’d return to their homelands. And no matter how  _ remote  _ their homeland might be, there is always a track to follow.”

“A track to follow?” Laslow hummed. “The track of Laslow would end very quickly. False names and appearances die at the start of this journey.”

“What was that?” This time, Xander focused his full attention on him.

For a second, Laslow debated just  _ saying  _ it. What would even happen? Laslow could puff out his chest and introduce himself the  _ proper  _ way. ‘Hello, Prince Xander. I am Inigo of Ylisse, son of Robin and Olivia.’ Back home, that’d get him attention. It was awful how name dropping his father would get someone flirting with him. Very quickly, Laslow learned not to use that particular habit. It was just…  _ Uncomfortable. _

Then, he remembered why they were there. And he remembered why they joined this world in the first place. They didn’t change their appearances for fun. They didn’t take up a new alias for  _ fun.  _ “Oh, I was just kidding, milord. Haha… Got you!”

-

Laslow liked to sneak into the grove of trees planted within the walls of the castle. Most people fell asleep long before that, but he never managed to keep a decent sort of sleep schedule. Since he often got night shifts, he knew exactly what areas would be patrolled and what areas  _ wouldn’t.  _

He easily snuck past Setsuna, her head clearly in the clouds, and Arthur’s head didn’t turn to his once. 

Then, he shed his heavy boots and stepped into the dirt, allowing himself to be transported back in time. He remembered the way Olivia used to lay her hands in his and pull him into the center of the clearing. Then, she gently caught him the first few steps of the dance and let him follow.

Laslow would have followed his mother anywhere, but now, he went someplace she couldn’t find him. However, when he leapt and he twirled, he could feel that familiar weight in his hand. With the moon providing the only light he’d ever need, he could pretend he would return home to his mother’s bright smile. Or, perhaps, he’d return home and be told Olivia tried to stalk him out to his clearing again.

Right as his feet hit the dirt once more, a laugh rippled out of him. It was soft, almost lost in the still air. Laslow let the dust kick up beneath his feet and collect under the callouses. He was  _ home.  _

So, he lost himself to the movement. He lost himself to the way the moon shone, to the way the trees sang, to the way the stars twinkled. Some dances were familiar. He could repeat the steps of his mother with ease, but he could also allow his heart to take himself where it pleased. He bled in and out of tradition and energy, carving both a brand-new path and following his own. He allowed himself to be the legacy of Olivia, but not a copy.

Only when he settled back against a tree, panting for his breath as he sunk to his knees, did he notice a pair of watchful eyes on his. He scrambled for his sword instantly, drawing it out and brandishing it in the direction. “Come out!”

“I didn’t mean to startle you…” 

The second Laslow recognized the voice, his cheeks burned a passionate pink, and his sword faltered. He sunk to his knees and covered his face, trying to hide the heat growing inside him. 

“I knew you could dance. Just seeing you in battle would tell me as much. But I never knew to what extent,” Xander continued, stepping into the clearing. He knew the prince stepped past his own discarded boots, and Laslow felt more discomfort pricking at his spine. He wasn’t sure how his bare feet made him feel more  _ naked,  _ as if he exposed all his secrets with the lines on the soles of his feet, but he  _ did.  _

Laslow didn’t bother to try and meet his face. “I… I didn’t know you were watching me.”

“I imagine you couldn’t have danced as well if you did. Why are you embarrassed?” He felt the breath of Xander suddenly curling around his hands, and he  _ knew  _ Xander crouched down in front of him. Laslow peeked out between his fingers. “There’s nothing shameful about a talent.”

“It’s not…” It was hard to explain. It felt as if he laid his whole soul bare in that moment, and Xander  _ seeing  _ it? Xander would never be able to look at him the same way. Laslow didn’t know what to do with that. It was an embarrassing part of him because it lacked shields, it lacked defenses.

If someone mocked it, it cut straight to the bone. 

Xander cleared his throat. “So, how did a man accustomed to war learn how to dance like that?”

“I… It was my mother,” Laslow stammered out. Then, they lapsed into silence for a long time. The entire time, Laslow debated the proper way to escape this conversation. Xander finally cleared his throat and pulled him to his feet.

He felt Xander’s eyes probing his skin. “We don’t need to talk about it, if you don’t want.”

_ “Please.” _

-

Laslow was always a man for the flowers… Or was it Inigo? Perhaps the name didn’t matter in the least bit. Perhaps both of them were good with flowers, good with working with dainty beings. Laslow and Inigo, Inigo and Laslow… At the end of the day, they were only defined by those who knew them. 

So perhaps it was poetry a beautiful rose bloomed on his abdomen. Concentrated in the middle was the puncture wound, cutting through the armor. The rose petals stretched out and unfolded eagerly. The seed travelled from his stomach and through his throat. When Laslow coughed, another petal floated out of his lips and fell through his fingers.

Or was it blood? Laslow’s eyes blurred too greatly to define one from the other. With the darkness pressing on the edge of his vision, he thought he’d rather go out in a garden rather than a dreary battlefield. So, he continued to craft a garden around himself to block out the reality of the situation.

When his hands started to flutter, reaching to stroke the edges of the rose petal, something pale caught them. A choking sound echoed through the air before suddenly, both sets of hands pressed down upon the gap in his armor. Laslow made a whining noise in the back of his throat, higher-pitched than he ever knew he could make. 

“Laslow…” Someone’s face dipped to the same level on his, chasing the way his eyes flitted from corner to corner. Then, they made another coughing noise. “Laslow, I command you to look at me. As your prince, I command you.”

Lucina would use that line too. He saw too much of Lucina in Xander, and sometimes, it hurt more than the throbbing in his stomach did. His eyes drifted up almost lazily and met the prince’s. A hesitant smile crossed Xander’s face. “Good, you’re doing well. I need you to stay with me until Elise arrives.”

“Leo…” Laslow struggled to say, the words tangling in the blood on his lips. 

Xander made a face. “What? Why would Leo-”

“O… Odin.” Each breath came out mangled and raw, and Laslow started gasping to try and control it. Xander tried to push him into a better position. The oxygen  _ refused  _ to enter his lungs though. This could be it. Laslow could never say goodbye to his mother. Laslow could never give any reason he chose to leave them… He could never explain how he became a new person there. Laslow couldn’t explain why he became  _ Laslow. _

“Leo! Send your retainer over here!” Xander called. Then, he smoothed the hair out of Laslow’s face. “Your… Friend’s coming.”

The hesitation was clear on the words, and Laslow wanted to sob. He wasn’t  _ romantically involved  _ with Odin. While the thought may have crossed his mind, there was only one man who had recently caught his attention. And he stood there, holding Laslow as the light started to fade from his eyes. 

Then, he heard his friend’s voice. “Inigo! Inigo, what happened?”

Odin slid across the crimson grass, replacing Xander in his line of view. He cupped his face and stared down at his abdomen. Then, he offered a frantic, teary smile. “Do you… Do you trust me?”

Laslow couldn’t say anything, and Laslow couldn’t nod, but his trust bled through his eyes. And for a moment, he saw more of Lissa than Odin. Odin chanted something under his breath, helping the skin knit back together slightly. It’d help him survive just a tad bit longer. He could hold out until Elise came.

He could…

His eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell into the garden.

-

Something warm seeped into his bones, and when Laslow shifted to try and soak up more of the sunshine, someone let out a soft laugh. “You gave us all a great fright tonight, Laslow. I thought my father would have to start looking for a new retainer.”

“Could you even replace me?” The words came out in a slight whisper, and he tried to sit up. Then, a piercing pain stabbed through him, and Laslow fell back against the pillows with a tiny whimper. 

Xander reached across his body, grabbing his hand. “You know I wouldn’t wish that. You are the finest service I could request. And obviously, you remain irreplaceable to a few others.”

He followed Xander’s gaze to the other people gathered in the sick tent. Sitting on the chair beside his bed was Peri, her hair splayed across the pillows as she drooped. Selena and Odin discussed something in low voices at the doorway, eyes shining with a desperation he could barely identify.

Then, Laslow turned. “What are-”

“I imagine they’re discussing what to do. When you told me you gave me a false name, I did not imagine you were being truthful.” Xander dropped his voice to a whisper. “Are you truly called Inigo?”

“I… I’m sorry, milord-”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, more forcefully than he needed to. Xander stared at Laslow, searching his face for some kind of answer. “Are you the same man you were a day ago?”

“Yes, I-”

“Then, that is enough.” Xander offered a gentle squeeze to his hand, and Laslow couldn’t contain the smile starting to spread across his face. 

That is enough.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So, a brief summary of the 4 times Laslow 'slipped' up:
> 
> 1- He told Xander about Morgan  
> 2 - He told Xander his father was a royal tactician  
> 3 - He talked about the royalty and their brands back home  
> 4 - He told Xander about his mom  
> \+ 1 - Odin gives away his name


End file.
